


A Love like Faulting Pages

by doubletime35



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Awkwardness, Basically Lots of Cute Gay Stuff, Coming Out, Coming of Age, First Crush, First Dates, First Everything Really Now that I Think About It, First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, Frustration and then Sweet Relief, Getting Together, Karasuno Volleyball Club - Freeform, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, So Obvious it’s Literally Painful, Underage Sex Between Consenting Minors, discovering feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25607641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doubletime35/pseuds/doubletime35
Summary: An unplanned event between our sharp mouthed setter and our spastic spiker lead to some (in hindsight, not so) unexpected feelings. Our two favorite volleyball boys struggle to understand dating, commitment, sex, and what it truly means to love someone in their time. Truly a love story for the ages between two boys that can barely even figure it out themselves.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	1. Realization

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I’m definitely not new to AO3, but this is actually my first fic ever! I'm hoping to make this a very long fic/series so be prepared for a long journey (20-25ish chapters! + continuing separate stories)!
> 
> Also, any veterans that may happen to come across this, feel free to impart any wisdom or suggestions or criticisms because this is completely new to me. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy my desperate attempt to fulfill the emptiness of not having typical adolescent romances due to growing up gay in the south!
> 
> Also, this won’t *really* be rated because each chapter is gonna vary pretty heavily based on where the story naturally progresses, so each individual chapter will have ratings and warnings for what lies ahead.
> 
> Anddddddd, I may take some liberty with canon plot lines for the sake of continuity, but it definitely won’t be anything crazy, just simple things!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata and Kageyama stay late for some practice on their move-sets, but Hinata starts to piece together some startling realizations as the night goes on.

S L A M

Hinata's spike landed the ball just short of the backline. His hand was still stinging from the sudden impact against the ball, but he didn't care. It felt good, like always. It was a burning reminder of where he was, and even a little bit of where he could still go.

He and Kageyama had stayed late once again to practice their quick, finally achieving some sort of consistency. They'd been here for hours after usual practice, painstakingly drilling their new movesets, so it's a good thing Hinata liked working with Kageyama. He's the only other person Hinata had met so far that matched his obsession with and persistence when it came to anything about volleyball. He appreciated that. Though his brittle personality could use some touch-ups, Hinata didn't mind. Kageyama was just Kageyama, and he didn't think that things would be the same if Kageyama was any different.

"Ha-ha! Yes! I actually watched really good that time!" Hinata shouted. "I TOLD you I'd get that one!" he said proudly while pointing at Kageyama, who was slowly walking to retrieve the ball. His usual blank expression was still painted on his face.

"Hmph, only took a million tries for you to watch the damn ball right." Kageyama snapped back.

"Hey! I wouldn't have so much trouble hitting the ball if you'd serve that way every time…" Hinata trailed off while turning the other way.

Of course, he immediately realized his mistake. He could practically feel Kageyama's eyes burning holes into the back of his head. Hinata knew Kageyama's serves were almost perfect every time. It was that freak genius side of his playing that still astounded him even after all this time.

Hinata turned back towards him, sheepishly. "Okay I didn't mean that, but gimme a break! I had a rough day, and we've been at this for hours." he groaned.

"This coming from Mr. Unlimited Stamina?"

"Look let's just quit while we're ahead, okay? I might as well go so I can lock up the club room with Daichi's key before it gets too late."

"I still don't understand how you got him to cough it up."

"Hey!" Hinata barked. "I'm responsible, he trusts me!"

Kageyama just huffed as he picked up his bag and headed towards the door.

 _Well, he still gave it to me instead of YOU,_ Hinata thought.

They both made their way up to change, each breath labored against the hot summer air. Hinata was very aware of his shirt sticking to every inch of his upper body. The sweat from his and Kageyama's practice was still thoroughly drenching his volleyball clothes. He wondered if Kageyama hated this feeling as much as he did. The fabric's constant weight and pulling down with each step, the trapping of heat without the afternoon sun to evaporate at least some of it. It had to bother Kageyama even more with his thicker shoulders, the way it'd pull down over his chest, getting stuck to his larger pecs and his well-defined abs and…

_Wait…_

_No, no, no, that's DEFINITELY not what guys think about each other. We don't imagine that stuff!_

_Well, I was just letting my mind wander; it's not like I was fantasizing about it. This was normal. I'm exhausted after all, and I was just thinking. No problem here, just regul-_

"Hey dumbass, can you pay attention please?"

Kageyama's degrading jerked Hinata out of his mental monologue. He quickly shook his head to center himself, finally realizing they were already right outside the club room. Kageyama had his hand on the handle, still staring at Hinata. "Where's your head at? Come on already, It's locked. They must've done it when they left."

"Must have. I'll get the key." Hinata said as he reached into his gym bag to fish out the key.

Hinata began to quickly sift through each of the pockets, trying to remember where he'd placed the key. However,…he was very aware of Kageyama standing above him. He just seemed to feel all the heat resonating from Kageyama's body. He seemed massively taller than Hinata at this angle too, and Hinata felt so dwarfed like this. But it wasn't all bad. It was almost like feeling protected. Like he could just curl up at Kageyama's feet and fall asleep right now if he wanted to-

_Okay, STOP. What's the issue? I've been having these weird thoughts and feelings for like three weeks now? And of Kageyama of all people? Why? This isn't the way everything is supposed to go. Well, not about a boy, at least._

_Well…_

_Maybe it's just because I'm just getting older. This was natural, right? I mean, it'd be about a girl if I was ever around any? I just spend a lot of time with Kageyama. Honestly, more than anyone at this point. That's the only reason. There's no reason to freak out; I'll grow out of it. I'll just ignore it for now. It's not like I'm gonna act on it or anything._

_Honestly, Kageyama would probably kill me if I did…_

"Do you have it yet?" Kageyama questioned impatiently.

"Yeah, it's right here. Come on." Hinata said as he finally pulled the key out. He pushed it into the keyhole and swung the door open, relieved. Finally, he could get out of these clothes and into something dry. He quickly threw down his gym bag and grabbed his after school clothes from inside it before shucking off his shirt and shorts. 

As he was changing, he couldn't help but glance at Kageyama on the other side of the room. Kageyama was checking his phone with one hand before starting to change. The other hand slowly pushed down the waistband of his shorts, revealing the strap of his underwear. Hinata spun his head back to the lockers, slightly embarrassed. But eventually, he heard all of Kageyama's clothes fall to the floor. And for some reason, Hinata felt his gaze being tugged towards the setter again. He didn't know why, but he finally let his eyes traipse over to the tall, dark-haired boy once more. Kageyama's chest still glistened with sweat as he drank a gulp of water from his sports bottle before toweling himself off. His athletic boxers were tight against his body, following every curve of his ass, from his petite hips down to his muscled thighs. Hinata felt his glances turning into one big stare as he stuffed his clothes into his gym bag, but he just kept going. He wanted to look away, but…

_I what? Can't? Won't? Shouldn't? Why am I questioning this…just look away, he's gonna see you, freak!_

Finally, he tore himself from Kageyama and got back to putting his clothes and everything else into his bags. But this was borderline getting out of hand. He's found himself stealing more than a few glances at Kageyama recently, and each time he goes through the same mental freak out.

_I just need to relax. Remember, this is all-natural. Just grow out of it and stop being a damn pervert!_

"Are you ready or not?"

Once again, Kageyama's stern voice shook Hinata out of his musings.

"Y-Yeah I'm good, let's head home." Hinata finally stuttered out.

Kageyama headed out first, followed shortly by Hinata. They got down to the school gate, the sun finally beginning to set in the clear summer horizon. Kageyama waited for Hinata to get his bike from the rack before continuing, but Hinata knew why. It wasn't to be sweet or considerate; he just wanted to be fair. He was sure Kageyama's competitive spirit would soon match his own, and they'd make the journey home into a contest. Hinata swung himself onto his seat, and he and Kageyama began their trek back. Of course, before long…their pace began to increase. Faster and faster, they began to race each other through the mountain paths. Hinata took the lead on the downhill portions only to fall behind as Kageyama overtook him on the uphill ones. 

"No fair! Peddling…is too hard… uphill!" Hinata panted and groaned as he struggled to weigh down each pedal on the climb up each incline.

"Ha-ha …should've …thought of that…beforehand." said Kageyama, his breath getting equally labored.

They both finally approached the last significant incline that leads to the big bend downhill into the small town below. It was the last obstacle that signaled Hinata and Kageyama were finally close to home. The soft, fading sunset was beginning to peak over the mountaintop as Kageyama reached the precipice, the wind picking up and gently blowing his sweat-soaked bangs to the side. He smirked as he heard Hinata just behind him, struggling to make it uphill, complaining the whole way. He glimpsed at the beginning of the drop and knew if he pushed through the exhaustion, he could win this one. He chuckled before gritting down and making his last stand. He tensed his right leg, pushing off to begin the descent down to-

S C R A P E

_Shit,_ Kageyama thought.

A small, sharp rock was pointing upward, and Kageyama drove the ball of his right foot directly into the stone. He winced in pain as he pushed the stone back, his foot going with it. He stumbled, falling at the apex of the hill, his right knee burning from the impact as he collided with the asphalt. Before he knew it, Hinata was cycling past him, his face beaming as he overtook his rival.

"Ha!" laughed Hinata as he turned to Kageyama. "Shouldn't have been so cocky!" he mocked.

He stuck his tongue out as he began the ride down, his head still turned to Kageyama. He laughed cheerfully as he turned back to the road, ready to-

_Oh no._

Hinata had misjudged the distance about when the turn started. He desperately reached for the brakes, but it was too late. He slammed his bike into the railing, launching himself into the trees just past the road. He cried out in pain as he landed against a large tree. The hard impact took the breath straight out of his lungs, and he winced as he fell in the brush below.

"Hinata!" Kageyama yelled, panic wrapping its cold hands around his voice as he pulled himself up, sprinting down the hill to help Hinata.

 _Damn,_ Hinata thought. _That hurt like hell._

He slowly tried to feel around his body, checking for broken ribs or sprained appendages. So far, nothing major that he could tell. However, when he tried to stand up, a ringing pain shot up from his left foot.

"Unghhh!" he griped. Apparently, standing up by himself wasn't really an option right now.

 _"_ Dumbass!" Kageyama yelled over the railing before hopping over, sprinting to Hinata's crumpled body. "Why the hell weren't you watching where you were going you idiot!"

"Oh shut up, just hurry and help me up!" Hinata snapped back as he struggled to turn his body into a better position.

Kageyama bent down to hook his arm into Hinata's to pull him up. Hinata winced as he got on his left foot, gently testing his right. Thankfully, it didn't feel strained like the left, so he shifted all his weight there, leaning into Kageyama's arm. Kageyama struggled to walk Hinata through all the brush up to the road, finally getting him over the railing. He set Hinata down on the rail while he picked up the bike, the front wheel slightly bent from the impact. He rolled it over to Hinata before sitting next to him, leaning the bike against the railing.

"Are you alright?" Kageyama asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just my ankle, I think. What about you?

"Yeah, I'm okay, just skinned my knee is all."

"Good. How's my bike?

"Just bent. Not broken, it can be fixed. Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I think so. Damn, this walk home is gonna be fun." Hinata joked sarcastically. "Here's hoping I can make it all the way there."

"Why don't you get on the bike, it can still roll."

"Well I can't peddle, I have a sprained ankle, remember?" Hinata said snarkily.

"Idiot, I'll help push you, calm down." Kageyama popped back flatly.

"Fine fine, just help me get on." Hinata said, honestly surprised. 

It was rare that Kageyama ever wanted to do something even THAT nice for him. In fact, he couldn't think of another time when Kageyama had offered to do anything for him. But he didn't care, it was still a little under half a mile before they got to town, and he knew he couldn't get himself there on his own. 

He grabbed Kageyama's arm to pull himself up, being careful of his ankle. He limped over to his bike and gently lifted his left leg over the seat, releasing a sigh of relief when he sat down. He may not have seriously injured anything else, but he was definitely sore. Not to mention he was covered everywhere in scrapes and cuts from the bushes. Kageyama grabbed Hinata's sides and started to push him down the hill, being careful to also hold him back slightly, so Hinata didn't go barreling down the road.

"Thanks, Kageyama!" Hinata chirped, craning his head to grin at Kageyama.

"Shut up dumbass, just start steering." Kageyama replied. "I wouldn't have to do this if you had watched where you were going."

"Aw whatever. Just hurry up, it's getting dark." Hinata shot back.

They continued on the way into town, the street lights eventually turning on during their journey. Hinata tried to focus on steering, but something kept tickling his brain.

Kageyama's hands were directly on his hips.

Hinata started to become hyper-aware of everything happening around him. Kageyama's hot breath blowing against the nape of his neck every now and then. The heat radiating from his body due to the humid air. The soft grunts sprinkled in as he struggled to keep Hinata upright.

But mostly his hands.

He couldn't shake it. He kept thinking of Kageyama's strong hands gripped around his small waist. He seemed to notice that they'd been slowly falling down his sides the whole journey home, but now Hinata was very aware of their placement. He almost felt like he could really feel each callous on Kageyama's fingertips, their rough surface rubbing his shirt against his skin. Kageyama's pinkies rested right on Hinata's hip bone, his other fingers spread up Hinata's abdomen, his thumbs pressed into Hinata's back. The more he thought of it, the more he realized…

It made him feel warm.

And not warm like from the air still around him, that feeling was going away as the summer air began cooling down with the ending of the day. It heated him directly at his core, spreading across his chest and up to his neck, his face flushing. His hands getting clammy while his ears burned up. Each of his limbs feeling weak, like all he wanted to do was fall back into Kageyama's arms.

_WHOA, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, what is THAT? That feeling is NOT welcome right now. He's just pushing me home, that's it. But damn, all day I've been feeling like this. What is so special about today? I've had this stuff going on for a while, but I still can't get over it, and now it feels 10x worse. At this point, I have GOT to know why. Look, let's just relax and get home. All I need is a cold shower and to get to bed. This is just a weird day, and I'm MORE than ready for it to be over._

He desperately tried to throw his thoughts to the side and just focus on steering. But of course, another incident interrupted their walk home.

When Hinata's bike crashed into the rail, it must've bent out one of the screws keeping his wheel on the frame because the wheel popped off. The front of his bike went crashing to the ground, throwing Hinata off to the side as he landed. Kageyama had tried to hold him, but he was at an awkward angle and went falling with Hinata.

"Shit, what happened?!" Kageyama asked once they got to the ground.

"Unghhh, the wheel came off the front of the frame. The screw must've snapped when it hit the rail. Crappppp, now I gotta fix that too?!" Hinata whined.

"Well come on, just get up already." Kageyama said, pulling himself up.

" _Wellll_ I can't 'cause of my FOOT, stupid!." Hinata barked back.

Kageyama offered his hand to Hinata and pulled him up. He walked Hinata over to a nearby bench at set him down before retrieving his bike.

"Well we're definitely not getting this back on, we're gonna have to walk the rest of the way." Kageyama said as he examined the bike.

"How am I supposed to? My house is still like two miles from town, and this ankle is killing me just sitting here." Hinata pouted. "Whatever, it's gonna take forever to get there so we might as well go."

"Then come to my house then and stop complaining."

Hinata was honestly kind of stunned. He'd never been to Kageyama's house, and he was fairly certain no one else had been either, at least from their team anyway. But it was definitely closer, just a 10-minute walk from town in the upscale neighborhood. He knew from past conversations that his parents were both pretty well off, considering they were both being high-class business people.

"But…what about your parents? I don't want to intrude on them, plus I'll have to-"

"Look, do you want to walk all the way home?"

Reluctantly, Hinata shook his head. "No, I guess not."

"Then stop being a baby, and let's go."

Hinata watched as Kageyama picked up his disheveled bike and walked it over to a close bike rack. He started to try and get himself up, but Kageyama said something entirely out of the left field.

"Would you...I don't know, want me to carry you or something?…"

Hinata heard it right over his shoulder and whipped his head around faster than he'd ever done before. Kageyama looked almost pale, his eyes shooting straight to the ground. He looked entirely still as if whatever happened next would scare him out of his skin. And Hinata was just plain stunned. Kageyama wanted to do what? Carry him? All the way home? To Kageyama's home, too.

 _Okay, this is crazy..._ Hinata thought. _What would possess him to want to carry me on his back for that long?_

"Doooo what now?" Hinata asked quizzically.

"Well don't say it like that!" Kageyama snapped, his eyes straying even further away from Hinata. "You obviously can't make it and the bike has to stay here, it's the only logical way to get you somewhere quickly..."

"Alright...That's just very, very, VERY, uncharacteristic of you…"

"Whatever, can we just go?" Kageyama asked quickly.

"Yeah that's fine, let's go. Let me just-"

Hinata was about to get up to get on Kageyama's back when-once again-the strangest thing happened.

Kageyama came around to the front of the bench and proceeded to put his arms behind Hinata's back and under his left leg.

Hinata jumped to the side away from Kageyama's hands, exclaiming, "Whoa, what're you doing?" His eyes were wide as he thought watched Kageyama's face get the slightest red tint to it, but he wasn't sure.

"W-What?" Kageyama sputtered out.

"I was just gonna get on your back?… Right?" Hinata said.

"W-Well this way you don't have to get up at all. Just come on already! I-It's getting later by the minute, dumbass." Kageyama stuttered out quickly.

Hinata ignored Kageyama's weird response, reluctantly agreeing to his request. "Alright fine then…" Hinata trailed off. 

He wasn't entirely sure what was going on with Kageyama. Still, it was practically dark now, and he was running out of viable options. Plus, he still needed to call his mom and let her know what had happened and how he would be staying over at another person's house.

Kageyama bent down again, wrapping his arms all the way under Hinata's legs and across the small of his back. Hinata had to suppress that warm feeling again as he felt it start to bubble up. 

"Wow, you're pretty strong." Hinata said, gulping, his face turned away with his eyes locked on the road.

"No, you're just light." Kageyama said. "Just hush until we get home, I need to concentrate on carrying you so I don't drop you on your ass."

The sun was finally wholly gone, and the streetlamps made the town look soft and romantic. Kind of like a cheesy movie, Hinata thought. Those movies that are always playing in the theaters around Valentine's Day, the preview posters showing a man and a woman staring at each other out in a field or something. Hinata kind of chuckled to himself for noticing things like that. It's not like he ever tried to think of romantic things anyway. He just never felt like he had the time. Volleyball took up his whole life, and then he had school, family, house chores, and, well…

Kageyama.

There it was again. That warm feeling Hinata had been pushing away for the seemingly millionth time today. He hated it at this point. What did it mean? Why did he keep feeling it? And why was it always around this one boy? Hinata finally decided that was the last straw. He was done with all these feelings and thoughts and impulses and-

 _No,_ he thought. _I'm tired of feeling so guilty for the past month or so. Let me ACTUALLY think about this for once. Stop freaking out and face this already, calmly._

For the first time, he stopped blaming it on growing up or hormones or "he never saw anyone else" or being tired or whatever else he decided at the moment. He was done making excuses. This meant something, and he was gonna figure it out.

He decided to simplify everything down and break it all apart. Now first, Hinata liked being around Kageyama a lot, but why? Well, easy; because as much as they bickered, they were very similar. Even with the little bit Hinata knew about Kageyama, he still knew that they liked all the same things, like movies, shows, games, general interests. It made sense that Hinata would want to be around someone so akin to him. But that wasn't crazy or weird. It would obviously lean to Kageyama being an excellent friend. Maybe even his best friend.

But...

The warm feeling. This was the second topic to break down and where the issues would begin. This part was relatively recent, but why? Was Kageyama just getting warmer, and he felt it? No, because sometimes it happened when Kageyama wasn't even close to him. Was the summer air making him hotter? It couldn't be, the temperatures were slowly starting to go down, and he just felt it a few minutes ago while the sun was down. So why? He was running out of logical explanations until only one was really left. 

_I mean, it makes me blush. Is it…romantic? It can't possibly be. Kageyama's a boy, and he's my teammate, my rival. He'd never be anything more than that. Maybe though..._

_Alright, look, let's not get ahead of myself. Let's get through the other stuff before reaching any conclusions. So third, the staring. Why do I keep looking at him when he's changing? Well, I could just be jealous of his figure, I've always wanted to be taller and more fit, and Kageyama is definitely both of those. But then why do I linger? I always end up watching way longer than someone just noticing someone else's body. And it's almost always while he's got his shirt off. Whether he's toweling off his sweat and stretching his arms in the club room, I always want to look. And...I've been looking at more than just his chest and arms. Way more. Some of it is simple stuff, like his hands and his back and his calves...but some of it isn't. Why his underwear? The way he rubs his finger beneath the strap while he looks at his phone. His butt always seems so soft and smooth, and his thighs always look so firm and defined. And...the front. He's always facing the shelves, so I've never seen it, but God, I bet it leaves so little to the imagination. Damn, even that! That's not usual to imagine all of that...but it's not…because I want it, is it? Okay, okay, let me just imagine my ideal female body, and I'm sure I'd like to stare at that more than Kageyama's. Here we go…_

But nothing came.

Not one single mental image.

He tried thinking of any of the popular girls he's seen around school. But he couldn't even really picture them all that well, and he wasn't sure he had a reason to keep remembering. They just didn't draw his interest when he saw them. He even tried to think of Shimizu-senpai, but that just felt weird. She was too much of a big sister to him. So, did he really just want to look at Kageyama? 

Then he had an idea.

He'd had his eyes glued on the road while he was thinking, but he decided to slowly turn his head towards Kageyama. He was going to honestly think about what he was looking at. And God...was it something. Usually, Hinata only saw Kageyama's cold stare or just a blank expression on the court. But if he was REALLY looking at who Kageyama was in detail…

Wow.

His wonderfully sculpted face held so many amazing features. His piercing, steel blue and grey eyes looked like they never ended. Like Hinata could just spend his whole life inside them. Then his lips, they looked so gentle that Hinata wanted to feel them right then and there. The scowl he always wore was even adorable, the way the corners of his mouth turned down at the perfect angle. Even small stuff, like his nose and his cheeks and his jaw and his eyebrows, were all perfectly placed onto one unbelievable face. His skin looked softer than Hinata ever thought. His hair, with the way it hung mysteriously over his eyes, almost begging someone to look behind and find his eyes so they could get lost inside them drove Hinata crazy. Hinata could hardly believe it.

Kageyama was positively gorgeous.

Hands down, Kageyama was the most angelic person Hinata had ever laid his eyes on, and he was only just realizing now. But what did this mean? Was everything he thought actually correct? Was everything connected? Well, it made sense. It had to be. At least...maybe…

Hinata couldn't believe it but seemed everything was coalescing into the same singular explanation.

Hinata was attracted to Kageyama.

But he just couldn't figure out how it happened. Everything between them pointed to anything besides romance and attraction. So why did he feel this way… Was he gay? Did he want to date Kageyama? Be…boyfriends? Honestly, this big of a mental realization was wearing Hinata out. I mean, this was a hell of a lot for one day. Maybe he should-

"What do you want?" Kageyama threw out.

_Shit. I've been staring at him this whole time! I gotta look somewhere else…_

"Oh, nothing, just daydreaming." Hinata said, awkwardly laughing and yanking his gaze back to the road.

"Hmph." Kageyama just huffed.

_Close one. *whew*_

God, he kept getting distracted today, continually getting himself yanked out of some internal monologue. He needed to be more careful; soon, Kageyama would start to piece together what was going on. Well…who was Hinata kidding, Kageyama boasted that he was so smart, but he'd never actually come to the conclusion that Hinata was beginning to be attracted to him (says the boy that took over a month to even realize he was starting to crush on Kageyama in the first place).

But nonetheless, Hinata was ready to get a shower and lay down. Thankfully, he finally spotted Kageyama's house just past the next corner.

He had A LOT of thinking to do tonight…


	2. Apprehension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata has finally started to piece together his feelings from the past few weeks. But what about Kageyama? Is he struggling with the same issues? What is he hiding behind that striking façade...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, my apologies to anyone that might've been waiting for this. I had 12,647,297,307 things happen these past few months and this completely got away from me. I moved homes, I started two different jobs, I got a cat, my car got hit, plus a whole ton of other things. BUT, I'm back and hopefully I'll be able to update regularly now! So here's the next chapter, I hope everyone enjoys it!

What in the world was Kageyama thinking?

He's carrying Hinata bridal style...to his home...to stay the night. Not to mention he was gonna be staying in Kageyama's room. The room that nobody else had been in since he was almost 10. But Hinata was going to have to stay; he very well couldn't go home like this if he tried. His ankle was getting way too swollen, and it'd be much too late by the time the swelling went down. And granted, Kageyama wanted to help him, but this was so weird! Nobody carries their friends like this, and Hinata had to be wondering what Kageyama was up to. But then again, Kageyama hadn't really thought about it when he went to pick Hinata up. It's not like he intended to be "up to" anything. He just...did it. But still, he shouldn't be doing things like this. It was bound to derail so many things if he slipped up. He and Hinata had finally reached some air of respect and companionship while being on the volleyball team, and they fit well into the flow of everything. The entire team depended on them. And sure, Hinata was annoying and overly cheerful and got in his personal space and was a dumbass, but...he was Kageyama's f-f-friend.

Kageyama still had trouble getting that word out, even in his head.

After all, he hadn't thought of anyone as his friend for so long, so it was a comforting, albeit surprising, change. Volleyball was his only concern for so long that he didn't have time for those types of things. At least he used to think so, but now he wasn't so sure. Hinata may have forced his way into Kageyama's life, but it didn't matter. Kageyama now saw it as almost a blessing. Now he didn't have to go out and try and be friendly and make dumb chit chat and schmooze somebody into thinking he was worth spending time with. He had someone who liked volleyball and the same movies and games as him, so that was enough. And as much as he hated to admit it, he did like it. Even if it was Hinata.

Kageyama and Hinata had finally reached the entrance up to Kageyama's house, and Hinata let out a small gasp. He'd known where Kageyama's house was, but he'd never actually seen it until this moment. And compared to other homes he'd seen, this was practically Buckingham Palace.

Kageyama's house had a long driveway that went through a gate and ended in a circle with a beautiful small tree garden in the center. A geometric concrete path leading up to the door was covered by a balcony above. A table and chairs were in the middle of a rose garden to the left, with flowers and tall plants visible in the corners. Long, green vines wrapped around the edge of the outside walls like an old cottage you'd see in the English countryside. Underneath at the end of the walkway was a large, wooden, double-door entrance sandwiched between two tall rectangular windows, both shaded by smooth cream-colored curtains. Hinata looked to the sides and saw tall windows just like those by the door wrapping around the house, all the curtains still drawn back to let in the sun from earlier in the day. Glimpses of rooms and walkways showcased beautiful dark wooden furniture and intricate decorations, all of which were perfectly placed on tables and large bookshelves. Rock forms and tall trees surrounded the outside of the property, and Hinata could hear a small waterfall from the backyard. The second floor was the same as the first, but with a large balcony around most of the outside wall. A chimney rose up out of the house's left side against a small, raised rectangular section of the roof. It was lined with horizontal windows that were similar to the ones on the first and second floors. There was a room visible at the top with a string of lights laid across the top of the room, dimly lighting the ceiling where Hinata could see multiple hanging decorations. 

Hinata was absolutely astounded by Kageyama's home. Compared to his apartment he shared with his mother and sister, this was practically a mansion. This wasn't to say that Hinata didn't like his home; he loved it. It was small but intimate, tight but comforting. It was what he always knew, and he believed it humbled him a bit. However, he'd be lying if he said he wouldn't love to live here as well.

"Kageyama!" Hinata practically yelled in Kageyama's face.

"Shit! What, dumbass?!" Kageyama barked back. 

"You've told us before you lived in a big house out of town, but you could've prepared me for a mansion!"

"It's not a mansion, idiot. It's a normal house."

But he knew it wasn't.

Kageyama was just always a bit self-conscious about his home. It always seemed to put people off, like it was wrong to be well off because of your parents. Like it automatically meant he and his family were pretentious aristocrats. It wasn't his fault, after all. He didn't choose for his parents to be wealthy. But he continuously felt that people pined some sort of blame on him. It almost contributed to why no one had been to his house in years.

"Pfft, yeah right," Hinata joked. "This thing is enormous! And look at all the trees and stuff! Where's your room? Is that the window over there? And what about that thing up there? Is that the-"

"GOD hush already, just get down," Kageyama said as they approached the doorway. "Can you walk in alright?

"I think I'm fine; just let me down easy, okay?" Hinata whined.

"Dont worry, I got you," Kageyama said back softly as he lowered Hinata down. He was almost upset to let Hinata go; he'd liked carrying his petite frame this whole time. The way it seemed to fit just right into his chest and arms.

"~Oop!~" Hinata gasped.

Unfortunately, it was at this moment that Kageyama realized he had gotten too lost in his thoughts. Right as he let Hinata down, his hand rode up Hinata's leg and groped right under his butt from where he tried to steady Hinata. Kageyama mentally slapped himself for not paying attention as a deep blush spread across his face like wildfire. 

"Yeah, you can let go now, I can stand..." Hinata said shakily.

Kageyama somehow blushed even more and yanked his hand away. "D-Duh, I was just making sure you caught your balance," Kageyama choked back, his voice beginning to quiver from embarrassment. "Anyway, look, just be cool; I obviously haven't had a chance to let my mom know you're staying over, so she'll be a bit caught off guard. She should understand though, it's not like we really had any other option."

"Wait...staying over? Like, for the night?"

"Well, of course, you can't go home on that foot, and it's not getting better anytime soon. You didn't really think you'd be going back tonight, did you? It's late and you haven't even eaten."

"Damn, I guess you're right. I'll try not to get in the way though, I don't want to be a burden or anything," Hinata said as Kageyama began to open the front door. 

"Don't worry about it, you wont be a burden. I...I like having you here," Kageyama said as he walked through the door.

_WHAT IN THE HELL AM I THINKING._

_DUMBASS, JUST PAINT IT ON YOUR SHIRT WHY DON'T YOU?_ Kageyama thought.

_Look, just calm down. Maybe he didn't think anything of it._

Kageyama turned ever so slightly behind him to glance at Hinata. Hinata's eyes were plastered to the ground, his hand gripped around his shoulder bag as he limped behind Kageyama.

Hinata's entire body almost looked like he was utterly still, and his face was stark red.

_Great. Excellent work, idiot._

"Honey! Are you finally home?" the voice of Kageyama's mother rang out from the living room. "I hope those coaches didn't run you too hard, you've been staying late for days now. Oh, and how's that little orange-headed boy you always tell me about, were you with him again?"

_SHUTUPMOTHERI'LLKILLYOU._

Kageyama and Hinata passed through the foyer after setting their shoes by the door. They headed around the corner to the right into the living room. It was a massive space with a large fireplace against the opposite wall from where Kageyama and Hinata stood. A television against a large stone-laid wall hung above the fire, with two gorgeous pieces of modern, contemporary art adjacent to the screen. Three long, elegant couches were spread in a square around the center table with circular side tables in each corner. Tall, minimalist lamps were set tastefully around the room along with bookshelves and tables, all decorated with exquisite decorations of vases, bowls, and small sculptures. Clear and simple sliding patio doors reached up to the ceiling and let in fading rays of moonlight. Kageyama's mother was laid on one of the couches with a complexly stitched blanket over her. A drama series was playing on the tv softly in the background, but she also held a book in one hand. It was a thick looking novel with multiple bends in the spine and aged cover art covering the front. Obviously, it was a book that she had enjoyed numerous times before and seemingly always returned to. Almost like a buried and treasured memory one repeatedly thought of when letting their mind wander on a calm day.

She looked surprised as she turned to the boys. "Oh, hello! I can tell by that hair that you must be Hinata-kun?" she said as she moved her gaze from Hinata to Kageyama, a bit of confusion in her eyes. She quickly got up from the couch and straightened her outfit. "I must apologize, I wasn't expecting any visitors this late. But it's nice to meet you, I'm Tobio's mother, Kageyama-san. "

"So sorry for the intrusion, we had a bit of an accident." Hinata said as he bowed slightly while still trying to steady himself against the wall on one foot.

"Oh my goodness, is everything alright?" she said worriedly, rushing over as she noticed Hinata's state. "You've got bruises and cuts everywhere! And what's wrong with that foot? Are you limping?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I um, lost control of my bike on the way home, and went over the railing up on the main hill. I must've landed with all my weight on my foot, I'm fairly sure it's sprained." There was almost a telepathic agreement between Hinata and Kageyama to not mention the racing. Might as well play it safe and leave the horseplay out of it.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, dear!" Hinata winced as Kageyama's mother knelt down to examine his foot. "Now, don't take this the wrong way but, shouldn't you be at home resting?" Kageyama-san said quizically as she looked up at the boys.

"His bike broke in the middle of the square, so I decided to bring him here. His house is over two miles from town, I couldn't let him walk all the way home like that," Kageyama said back.

Kageyama's mother nodded as she stood back up. "Of course, I wouldn't have that either. Thank you, Tobio; you've always been a good kid," she said as she smiled and slightly ruffled his hair. "Well please, come in, and we'll get you off that foot. Even the walk to here must've been awful," she said as she helped Kageyama guide Hinata to the couch.

"Actually I-...I carried him home," Kageyama said shyly.

"Oh?...Well my goodness, how sweet of you honey," Kageyama-san said, a smirk forming in the corner of her mouth as she and Kageyama set Hinata on the couch.

Kageyama had the slightest blush in his cheeks as he turned away. "I-I had to, I couldn't let him walk on that foot. He needs to start playing again as soon as possible, and any more unnecessary pressure on that foot will only set him further back than he already is."

Hinata had begun to lean back into the couch, but hearing Kageyama's words sent him shooting back upright.

"Wait! How far set back do you think I am?! How bad is it???" Hinata shouted worriedly.

"It doesn't look to be anything serious, dear, but you definitely need to stay off this ankle for a good few weeks if you're planning on playing as soon as possible. I'd say at least 2 or 3, maybe?" Kageyama-san said softly.

"Ughhhh, this sucks, I can't believe I have to sit out for that long. What am I gonna do?" Hinata threw his head back against the couch in despair.

"Oh, you'll be fine, dear, you've got Tobio! And I'm sure you two can find other things to do together in the meantime!" Kageyama-san chirped as she smiled at her son. Kageyama blushed once again and turned his face back towards the window, desperately hoping Hinata wasn't watching him. "I'm sure everything will be just fine," she continued. "Now, I'm going to go get you some medicine and some ice, and then you two can take all that up to Tobio's room. And I'll go ahead and call your mother for you, I'm sure she's worried sick."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Hinata said. He almost sounded guilty, which was ridiculous. He had nothing to be ashamed of. After all, Kageyama was glad he was here. He _wanted_ to take care of Hinata...

"So how do you feel?" Kageyama asked as he sat next to Hinata.

"Awful. The pain in my ankle is killing, all my cuts are still stinging, my bruises are super sensitive, my muscles are sore, and worst of all, I have to sit out from volleyball for who knows how long. God, this _sucks_." Hinata said irritably, throwing his hands up multiple times during his spiel. "These next few weeks are gonna be the worst. What do you think sensei and coach Ukai will say?"

"I'm sure they'll want you to rest and get better. You're no use to anyone still hurt."

Hinata slapped Kageyama on the forearm. "Hey! Rudeeeee, why'd you say that?"

"Come on, you know what I mean! Besides, you'll be fine, I'm sure you'll find things to do. It won't be that bad."

"Sure, you say that, but you're not the one who can't play for the next few weeks. How would you feel if you were in my shoes?" Hinata shot back.

Kageyama thought about it and realized that yes, he'd obviously also hate it if he couldn't play volleyball for that long. It'd be excruciating, honestly. "Alright fine, but it'll be okay. I'll...do stuff with you."

"...Nani?..."

Kageyama turned to look at Hinata, and his eyes were wide while his mouth was slightly open.

"D-Don't say it like that!" Kageyama spit out. "What's so wrong with that?"

"I just...well, we haven't hung out with each other before, at least outside of club stuff. I mean, what would we even do?"

Honestly, Kageyama didn't know. What was he thinking anyway? How could he spend time with Hinata outside of school? The only thing keeping him from losing his mind was that he had something like class or volleyball to distract him.

What would he do with just Hinata?

"I'm sure we'll figure something out. It'll be fun...y'know?" Kageyama squeaked.

"...That looked physically painful for you to get out."

"Oh, shut up!" Kageyama barked, grabbing Hinata's head and squeezing it as he shook Hinata around. "You may be hurt but I'll still kick your ass!"

"Alright, alright! I give! Let me go!" Hinata whined, flailing his arms at Kageyama.

To Hinata's saving grace, Kageyama-san finally came back into the living room, holding a few ice packs, bandages, and ibuprofen.

"Alright, you two, I spoke with Hinata-san, and she said she completely understands the situation. She's perfectly alright with Hinata-kun staying here for the night. So, you take these and head up to Tobio's room," Kageyama-san said as she handed all the items to the boys, "and I'll be up in a bit with some dinner and tray tables for you both."

"Thank you, Kageyama-san, I really appreciate it," Hinata said as Kageyama helped him up from the couch.

"No problem, dear! Now you two head upstairs so you can rest. Do you need help getting him up the stairs, Tobio?"

"No it's alright, I can handle it," Kageyama said as they shuffled towards the stairs on the other side of the living room.

Hinata and Kageyama struggled to get up the first flight of stairs, and Hinata seemed relieved once they finally reached the top. Kageyama was confused, considering they still had the second flight of stairs. Of course, it then occurred to him that Hinata obviously didn't realize where his room was.

"Don't save your breath, we still have one more flight to go," Kageyama said.

"Wait what, why? Where's your room even at?" Hinata asked, confused.

"It's at the very top, that raised roof part you were asking me about when you get here. It's technically the master bedroom, but my parents didn't want it. They said the stairs were too much, and they didn't want to climb them every day as they got older. So, now it's mine."

"Whoooaaaaaaaa, you get that huge room all to yourself?!"

"Yeah, it's just me."

_Always just me._

They reached the top of the stairs and got to the short hallway to Kageyama's door. The door itself was a large, dark-colored wooden door with large potted plants on each side. Once inside, Kageyama could sense Hinata's mouth drop open. Although Kageyama didn't think of his bedroom as anything special anymore.

The room was a long, rectangular space with the windows wrapping around the wall near the ceiling that Hinata had commented about outside. Towards the other side of the room was Kageyama's bed outlaid with a crisp, neutral color palette of greys and whites, much like the rest of the room. There was a sturdy looking chest-of-drawers with a t.v. on top against the wall in front of Kageyama's bed. There were multiple furniture pieces against the other walls, including a desk with a computer and various notebooks, an armoire, and a small couch facing a fireplace of all things. Kageyama sometimes wondered why that was in a bedroom. Then again, this was meant for two people who were romantic with each other after all, and couples seemed to like things like that. He wouldn't know. But...

He at least had Hinata here.

"KAGEYAMAAAAAA!" Hinata shouted wildly.

"I swear if you shout in my ear one more time, I'll kill you."

"Oh hush, it's your fault for not telling me how ridiculous your room is! Look at this place, it's amazing! Why didn't you ever tell us you had the coolest room any teenager could ever ask for?"

"Why would I? It's not like that topic has come up anywhere."

"Still, I'm mad at you for not telling me about this. We could've been hanging out here this whole time, and you conveniently kept this information to yourself."

Kageyama felt little butterflies start to let loose in his stomach.

"You'd...want to hang out with me here?" Kageyama asked, surprised.

"W-Well...yeah, after seeing all of this. I mean who wouldn't? Plus, you're not half bad either," Hinata joked.

Kageyama felt the butterflies getting wilder.

"Then you can start coming over. If you want to. You won't have much to do after school with that ankle now."

"Okay...cool," Hinata said as he smiled toward Kageyama.

There it was. That stupid grin that made Kageyama's head shoot up through his head.

They'd reached Kageyama's bed at this point, and he let Hinata down slowly. He winced as he placed his left foot down, obviously still in severe pain.

"Thanks. But this is your bed, why am I in your bed?"

"Because I want you to be comfortable. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's totally fine. I'm not the one who jacked up their ankle, so you need a good place to sleep," Kageyama said as he smacked Hinata on the arm, smirking.

"Hey! And who's fault is it for distracting me by tripping in the middle of the road?" Hinata shot back, kicking Kageyama with his right foot.

"And who could've paid attention and not worried about gloating?" Kageyama said as he started to turn away.

"Um excuse you, I was checking on you!" Hinata laughed as he pulled Kageyama back by his shirt.

Kageyama turned and grabbed Hinata's wrists as they started wrestling for control. After a few moments, Hinata violently yanked his arms back, but he pulled a little too hard, causing the two boys to go falling back onto the bed. Kageyama tried to widen his stance to keep them upright, but he ended up just falling on Hinata, straddling him. Kageyama was practically lying right on top of Hinata, his hands still holding Hinata's wrists and spreading Hinata's arms away from his body.

They were both breathing rather naturally, but the silence of the room made them sound exhausted. Their laughter was skittering away, and they were left staring at each other, neither one making an effort to move.

Kageyama found himself getting lost in Hinata's dark golden eyes. He wanted to just stare at them forever while he ran his hand through Hinata's thick, orange hair. He'd listen to Hinata's breath and feel his chest move up and down with his other hand, just laying together. But he felt his thoughts getting uncomfortably long and tuned back into the real world.

"Um, hey. Are you...good? I have to pee, and I think I'm gonna go ahead and take a shower before your mom gets up here," Hinata laughed nervously.

"Oh, uh yeah, definitely. S-Sorry..." Kageyama trailed off, embarrassed. "The bathroom is through those double doors over on the right. Towels and everything should be in there," he said as he pointed to the opposite wall.

"Thanks. I'll be out in a bit, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Kageyama said squeakily. His mind was still reeling from the bed incident. He watched as Hinata limped himself over to the bathroom and closed the double doors before throwing himself back onto the bed. What in the world was he thinking? Getting caught up in the moment like that? He had to be more careful. Hinata could never find out that he was...well...

He still wasn't entirely sure. Or maybe he was, and he just didn't want to admit it. However, he was sure of one thing; if Hinata realized what Kageyama was thinking these past few weeks, it wouldn't turn out well. There's no way it possibly could. Kageyama was almost afraid to let himself believe that it would.

Kageyama would just have to keep this to himself for now. There no reason in freaking out over something he hadn't even deciphered himself. However, it was definitely getting harder and harder to hide the reactions outside of his own head. And one glaring thing had almost gotten him caught already.

Kageyama was painfully hard.


End file.
